Calculated Risks / Seanan McGuire

 

Calculated Risks by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

One of the things that I appreciate about Seanan McGuire is her obvious interest in science. In this book, the main character, Sarah, is an imaginary species known as a cuckoo or Jorhlac. Evolved into a humanoid form from a large, parasitic wasp species, it makes perfect sense that her developmental stages would be known as instars, like other arthropods, and that a queen would be the leader in colonizing a new hive location, just like bees and ants. I had to dredge way back in my memory of invertebrate zoology courses taken in my dim, dark past, but these details nudged me into remembering those lessons. (I remember noticing these same kinds of details in Into the Drowning Deep, under her Mira Grant aegis.)

This is the strangest book in the Incryptid series, as it actually is set in another dimension, not on Earth at all. As a result, it will probably never be my favourite in the series. Sarah isn't my preferred main character either. And I should warn you that if you suffer from arachnophobia, this may not be a novel for you.

I'm still glad that I've added this book to my permanent collection. At this point, one year into the covid-19 pandemic, I know without a doubt that I've become a cranky reader, easily annoyed and difficult to engage. One day, in a healthy future, I hope to re-read this novel and feel more enthusiasm.


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